In English, these words are loosely interchangeable but if you want to be specific about the use of the skin
consider this:

When you speak of a pelt generally you mean the skin or hide that has been stripped and cured with the hair or fur still on it, that will be marketed to be used to decorate a floor or wall, like a bearskin rug, or manufacture clothing such as fur coats and hats. When speaking of hides that generally means a skin that has the fur or hair removed to make leather such as cowhide, pigskin, lambskin, etc.

Pelt is more specific than hide or skin. To me a cat pelt suggests that it has been skinned and cured to preserve it, perhaps as a fur coat, like a leopardskin coat, so I would call it a pellejo.

Hola Vicente. It is difficult to find the precise word that will give the word pelt and optimate meaning in Spanish. Piel or pellejo would be to options and there are probably a few others. Pellejo in Puerto Rico could also mean a promiscuous male or female.

Hola Vicente. It is difficult to find the precise word that will give the word pelt and optimate meaning in Spanish. Piel or pellejo would be to options and there are probably a few others. Pellejo in Puerto Rico could also mean a promiscuous male or female.

Saludos Les:

You are right. I must admit that, except in the dicionary, I have not found an example of it being used to describe a pelt. Yes, I noticed that pelleja has a slang meaning in some parts. Of course that problem exists with a lot of words in both English and Spanish. I guess it's a question of whether there's a danger that somebody will mis-understand it's meaning in the context that it is used. For example, depending on how we use it in English, the word "beaver" is either a vulgar word or a perfectly innocent animal.

The Pelted Pelt

Saludos Vincent!

I agree with you. Pelt can also mean among other things to throw things at someone or something or to rain heavily. I do not wish to confuse Carmen so I will not pelt the pelt and be left with a pelted pelt that is soaking wet. I've probably confused her more so.

Another derogatory term in P.R. for a "promiscuous" person would be the word cuero.

One last item. In the last sentence I would use "de la manera en que se usa..."